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What We’re Watching:
Only Murders In The Building
Three strangers obsessed with true crime find themselves in their own murder mystery. Steve Martin, Selina Gomez, and Martin Short play the three aspiring but mismatched sleaths on the hunt for a murderer. Recommended.
What We’re Listening to:
"Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" by Little SimzOn the Let's Go Sussex turntable is Little Simz's stunning album 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" It includes the massive tune 'Point and Kill'. With this album Little Simz didn't miss, she absolutely kills it.
What We're Eating:
Burnt Orange, BrightonBurnt Orange is the latest venture from local restaurateur Razak Helalat. He has already created two of Brighton's best loved restaurants Coal Shed and Salt Room. Burnt Orange offers a delicious mix of cocktails and small plates. It's only just opened but is already a big hit.
What We’re Doing:
London GrammarLondon Grammar play their biggest headline tour to date, including a new date added at the Brighton Centre.
LGS SPEAKS TO BRIGHTON GIN
We speak to ‘Ginista’ Kathy Caton, the founder and MD of Brighton Gin about building a business that is Sussex through-and-through, indulge in some business banter and make some observations on Sussex as part of the national economy.
FILM & TV
Film and television critic Robert Chandler reviews Leos Carax’s ANNETTE.
We checked out the new Brighton food venue Cellar and spoke with owner Dan Kenny and Chef Paul Smith about how they created an unstuffy dinning experience that serves up tapas with a twist.
Let's Go Sussex visited Wild Flour Pizza in Ovingdean to chat with the founder and co-owner Chris Phillips about the relentless pursuit of the perfect pizza!
We speak to Peter Dantanus, Burnt Orange’s Head Chef about what’s on the menu at this new Brighton's food and cocktail venue.
We speak to Olivia Reid, Sessions Food Director, and Kenny Tutt, Masterchef winner and founder of Ox Block, about Shelter Hall, Brighton's new seaside food hall concept.
We speak to James Thompson, Director and Owner of Wild Flor, about the restaurants ‘well-cellared’ wines and classic, familiar cookery.
Matt Gillan, star of The Great British Menu, talks to us about his famous zero-waste Goat preparations and what inspires him to create amazing dishes.
George Thomas gives us the lowdown on Isaac At’s wild beginnings and his team’s absolute dedication to procuring local produce.
We travelled to Cuckfield to speak to Head Chef Johnny Stanford about his new Restaurant ‘No.1 Broad Street’.
Twenty covers. One cook (himself). Zero days off. For seven years! Is Duncan Ray Hove’s hardest working Chef?
Manick Govinda, Art Critic and Writer, takes Let’s Go Sussex on a tour of some of his favourite hotspots in Hastings.
We chatted with Steve Campion, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Good Noise, about branding and design for local restaurants and pubs in Brighton and Hove
We chatted with Dan Walters, See-Creatures Creative Director, about creating colourful pattern designs for international brands, painting eye-popping murals for local craft-breweries, and why he loves living in Brighton.
We speak to the founder of Slake Spirits, Thomas Martin-Wells, about creating wild-inspired recipes for their range of delicious drinks - all meticulously made with gathered and grown ingredients to capture and showcase the flavours of Sussex by the Sea.
We speak to Co-Founder of the British seaside hotel challenger brand 'Port' Peter Cadwallader about what his new Eastbourne property has to offer to it's guests and the local community.
Urban Industry specialise in premium Outdoor, Workwear & streetwear clothing including brands like Arc'teryx, Patagonia, RAB & The North Face. We popped in to their shop, to chat with owner Dan King about online retail sustainable fashion, and growing a business in East Sussex.
'All Things Analogue' curate a range of analogue tools from around the world to inspire you to write, draw, capture and build with. We caught up with founder Abel Dos Santos about his passion for stationery and the warm welcome he's received in Eastbourne.
We spoke to Sales Director of Bedlam Brewery, Danny Hoskins, about the changing tastes of beer drinkers and how locally sourced ingredients have become a must for discerning pub-goers.
We spoke to Lauren Pollard, Head Baker and Co-Founder of “To The Rise” Bakery about the joys of cakes and bread, the relationship between food and community, and the importance of sourcing local ingredients.
Specialising in plant-based health foods, nutrients, remedies, tinctures, teas, and much more, we spoke to Amanda Copping about her store, Longleaf, and her mission to help customers on their journey to natural health and well being.
We speak to Ben Walgate about his organic, bio-dynamic farm and vineyard, and his holistic approach to producing a sustainable and self-sufficient business in the Sussex countryside.
We spoke to John Berry about Printers Playhouse and the Grove Theatre, his love of drama and the importance of the local acting and writing community.
We speak to Phil Evans, Director of Tourism and Enterprise for Eastbourne and Lewes, about the facilities and interconnectivity of the new Welcome Centre in Eastbourne’s Devonshire Quarter.
We speak to Mark Driver and Chris Bailey about growing sparkling wine and cooking great food in the beautiful South Downs National Park.
Through local farmers and suppliers, craft breweries, budding vineyards and world-class restaurants, the county of Sussex offers up a truly mouthwatering feast.
We spoke to Emma Mason about her prints gallery and her unique relationship with revered printmaker and artist Robert Tavener.
We headed out into the Lewes countryside to speak to Nick Sandford of Fin and Farm about growing fresh produce for local businesses and communities.
Lee Smith talks about baking bread and missing out on the Great British Bake Off to Paul Hollywood.
Mark Berry and Toby Smallpiece elaborate on the ins and outs of their Sussex-based brewery.
We speak to Harriet Dean-Orange, Co-owner of ‘Harriet’s of Hove’ - a food, toiletries and kitchen products refills store with a difference.
We caught up with Alessandro, lead singer of ‘Cutting Ties’ to discover what’s been on their lockdown playlist, their plans for the future, and to listen to their new single “When Am I Going to Sleep?”
With infectious, gritty, melodic songwriting Beach Riot have been catching people’s attention with their loud fuzz-laden pop tunes. We got in touch with Rory O’Connor (vocals/guitars) to see how the Brighton four-piece are getting on.
Ahsoka are an alternative rock three piece. Formed at university in 2018 by Rhiannon John (vocals), Alex Amos (guitar/bass) and Tommy Dowse (drums) the band are making a name for themselves in the Brighton music scene. Influenced by Nirvana and Radiohead, they couple their sombre, ambient sound with an intense and honest performance.
In Broker’s own words: “BROKER, are a band from Brighton UK. A UK band. Brighton. Broker.” Check out their tunes and what they think of the local government act of 1972 here.
In this ‘Sussex Sounds’ we speak to Joe from ‘I Feel Fine’ - an Emo band that’s totally OK with being labelled an Emo band.
‘Cutting Ties’ are a four piece Emo-punk band formed in Brighton, UK in 2018 by lead vocalist/guitarist Alessandro Cogolo, bassist Jack Smith and drummer Ben Turner with guitarist Sam Allen completing the final line up in early 2019.
With effervescent guitar hooks and sugar-coated vocal harmonies, Sussex based SUNS UP burst onto the indie scene in 2019. We spoke with guitarist Sam, to see what’s ‘UP’!
Starting as a trio in 2018, Porcelain Pink streamlined themselves into a well-oiled alt-rock riff machine. The post-grunge two-piece band is made up of guitarist and vocalist Lorenzo Raiola and drummer Steph Deakin.
ORNAMENT are a Brighton-based musical outfit trying their hand at fusing driving alternative rock with more danceable leads and pop-oriented choruses...but really they're just three friends making the music they want to hear.
InTechnicolour combine haunting, powerful vocals with suspenseful, progressive clean sections and anthemic, unforgettable choruses.
We caught up with Dave, Liam and Vlad about all things music.
Heirloom have described weaving their music through “the cult movie romance of a Tarantino lens.”
With layers of graceful reverb, delay and fuzz, dark organs and jangly guitars, we speak to the cinematic-garage band from Brighton who produce their very own brand of Gloom Pop.
Four years on from their enthrallingly epic and ambitious debut, We Never Learned To Live are back with their sophomore release ‘The Sleepwalk Transmissions’.
We speak to David Kane from the monumental post-hardcore band from Brighton.
John Kennedy of ‘Radio X’ said "You could possibly pitch her somewhere between St Vincent and Prince". We think that’s quite the accolade for YATW vocalist and guitarist, Ruby Taylor.
We put our Sussex Sounds questions to the Psych-Pop songwriter.
In their own words, Brighton four-piece Wild Cat Strike channel their gleeful sense of cacophony and flair for sonic abrasion into engrossing off-kilter indie-pop songs. We got in touch with bassist Chris Whitehorn to see what the Cats have been up to recently.
In their own words, Winter Gardens have developed their own 'Dream Punk' sound - combining elements of Shoegaze and Dreampop with the energy of Punk.
Quiet Lions are a quartet based out of Brighton, known for their intricate four-part harmonies and epic sound-scape driven alt-rock.
Endlessly inventive, moving and challenging, we love the Brightonian instrumental Prog/Math band Poly-Math. Founded in 2013, the band has produced a number of EP's, and albums, with each offering serving as a concept piece based around revolutionary artworks or historical events.
Manick Govinda is an Art Consultant and a writer. He has worked in the Arts for 35 years. In that time he has championed and collaborated with artists such as Zarina Bhimji, Zineb Sedira, and composer Nitin Sawney.
We spoke to him about his career in the Arts, moving to Hastings from London and his first impressions of Sussex.
Kristiane Sherry is head of Spirits at Fine and Rare Wines, co-host of the Pour and Sip Club, and passionate about Sussex.
We spoke to her about buying and selling high-end drinks, the inspirational places to visit in Sussex, and the best kept secrets of this wonderful county.
Seabirds Ltd is a Community Interest Company that aims to promote outdoor swimming as a way to improve wellbeing. As keen sea swimmers, they recognise the huge benefits of getting in the sea to our well being. Their aim is to introduce the joy of the waves and salted wellbeing to those who need it most. We had a quick chat with Cath, one of the Seabirds, about the organisation.
We got in touch with the Lewes Wanderers and Chairman Dominic Lowden kindly spoke to us about the effect the pandemic has had on cycling, some of the history and successes to have come out of the club and his thoughts on bike tech and why Sussex is such a good spot for cycling.
Kelly Mikulla is Managing Director at Sussex Film Office, the first port of call for productions considering filming in the area. They promote Sussex as a film friendly county and provide production support to feature films, TV programmes, commercials, and photo shoots
Ian Jordan is a Director of Eastbourne Speedway Ltd, the company which promotes speedway racing at Arlington Stadium, on the outskirts of Hailsham. We spoke to him about the high-octane sport, the steps to take to start Speedway-ing, and what makes the Eastbourne Eagles so great.
Sussex runner Tom Hooper kindly spent some time giving us the lowdown on his running experiences, insights into his local club, Brighton Phoenix, and has shared some of his favourite places to run. If you’re looking to up your fitness game post-lockdown, Tom has plenty of good advice on training (and trainers) to help you get started!
We give our resident film critic Robert Chandler the ‘Sussex Spotlight’ treatment and talk about his background as a Producer and Writer, his experiences in the film industry and his favourite features on the big and little screens.
We got in touch with Nick Braithwaite who setup Paddleboarding Brighton as a site to help people hoping to get out for a paddle in the vibrant East Sussex city.
Heather Hilder-Darling shares her passion for everything property – selling homes, houses and flats, beach huts or letting houses and flats, and property management through her Brighton & Hove estate agency.
Andy Williams chats to Joe Hill about the plans for the Towner Art Gallery and the changing identity of Eastbourne.
Andy Williams chats to writer Jasper Gibsonabout his upcoming book ‘The Octopus Man' - a novel that takes us into the complex world of voice-hearing and that asks the fundamental questions about belief, meaning, and love.
Olly Goddard is UK Manager of Weezevent, a software application for event organisers. Based in Sussex, Olly works with organisers big and small, from large arena events to intimate community workshops.
Philip Johnson leads the team at Locate East Sussex. He collaborates with businesses, cultural bodies, and local government to drive innovation and encourage a dynamic enterprise culture.
Laurence Grant is head of Investment Projects at Sussex Innovation. His job is to match start-ups and investors. Laurence has a remit to promote innovation in Sussex and boost the county's reputation as a place to start a business, but to do that he needs to persuade investors that they should look beyond London for exciting opportunities.
We spoke to the award-winning artist about drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of Sussex, the joy of living by the sea and the support she’s found within the local artistic community.
We got in touch with founder of Hospitality Mavericks, Michael Tingsager, to see what advice he has for restaurants looking to survive these challenging Covid-19 times and spoke about how resturantuers and business owners can use branding and their relationship with their customers and the larger community to bounce back from the Coronavirus crisis.
We got in touch with Michael Dale of Firebrand to see what insight and advice he might have for businesses during these uncertain times, and to discuss how branding should be at the forefront of everything you do as a business, big or small.
Ben and his partner Lucy set up Nelson Coffee Co. back in 2014 after an inspiring trip to Canada and have gone from strength to strength, opening local eatery ‘Company’ within the last 12 months, both locations are local to Eastbourne.
In light of the challenges and restrictions that the Coronavirus crisis has placed on our day-to-day lives, we got in touch with Steven to talk about the effects the lockdown has had on ETCH. and the ramifications for the dining world and its associated industries.
TILLINGHAM
"At Tillingham we are committed to farming in a diverse, poly-cultural way, we believe this is not only a highly sustainable approach, but in conjunction with biodynamics, aims to restore soils to an optimum level of organic matter and microbial and wider ecological diversity."LGS DIRECTORY
This mixed farm, which dates from the 13th century, is home to vineyards, fruit trees, ancient woodland and livestock.
Lets Go Sussex’s film critic, Robert Chandler, reviews Ryan Reynolds latest movie FREE GUY. Will this mash-up of THE TRUMAN SHOW, THEY LIVE, and TRON be bigger than the sum of its parts? Read Robert’s review to find out!
Let’s Go Sussex Film Critic, Robert Chandler reviews Leos Carax’s ANNETTE. A wild and surreal cinematic ride that has divided audiences. It’s Robert’s film of the year, but he says be prepared to hate it.
Let’s Go Sussex Film Critic, Robert Chandler has a license to review the latest Bond movie. Will he be bored of Bond or shaken and stirred? Read his review to find out.
Let’s Go Sussex’s Film Critic Robert Chandler reviews two crazy aircraft movies - SHADOW IN THE CLOUD & BLOOD RED SKY
I liked Netflix's FEAR STREET: 1994, the first of a trilogy of Fear St films. The second is set in 1978; the third in 1666. Gradually the origin of a witch monster and the evil that lurks beneath the town named Shadyside is revealed through the three films.
Nothing in THE TOMORROW WAR is original, yet I love alien bug-hunt movies and this I felt was almost good enough. If I ignore the story-slips and daft behaviour of its characters, none of whom would have survived the situations in which they found themselves.
IN THE HEIGHTS is a joyful and exuberant trip, a musical that feels of-the-moment and much needed, not least because it’s a celebration of community and of being outside.
After the disappointment of THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER, which had the habit of running away from all the things that were good about itself in favour of following a small-minded, dull story about generation terrorists, LOKI landed yesterday on Disney+ and hit all the right notes!
CRUELLA is terrific. A touch overwrought, but nonetheless a visually ravishing and aurally exciting origin story for one of Disney's great villains.
THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES is dazzling and fully-loaded, and carves out its own style, building on the animation techniques developed on SPIDER-VERSE, adding hand-drawn illustrations (provided by daughter Katie) to embellish frames and feelings.
HONEST THIEF has a reasonable premise (a successful bank robber decides to turn himself in when he meets a woman he falls in love with), which it then unpacks and explores in all the right ways...but without any subtext or depth, or even feeling for character. What is left is all surface.
WITHOUT REMORSE plays like it was written by a fourteen year old raised on Call Of Duty. Except it was written by Taylor Sheridan, who only a while back wrote the surprising SICARIO and the beautiful, character-led, HELL OR HIGH WATER.
Writer Andy Siara and Director Max Barbakow have fashioned a gem. PALM SPRINGS is a metaphysical enquiry into love, fate, and the nature of happiness, disguised as a light comedy! The film stars Adam Samberg, Cristin Milioti and JK Simmons as three characters trapped in a loop that winds around a wedding day event held in Palm Springs.
Netflix’s LOVE AND MONSTERS is good fun and amiable, but derivative. At times it strains too much to sit alongside ZOMBIELAND, often at the expense of its own identity. But, still, it’s a good watch and Dylan O’Brien plays the part of the reluctant hero well. It’s good to see him back after his serious accident on the MAZE RUNNER film.
GODZILLA VS KONG represents the diminishing returns of the misguided “monsterverse”. A series of films made by mediocre fanboy directors and executives who think fan-service is the way to go. Well, it isn’t.
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT is funny and self-regarding; ironic, fast-moving and beautiful. Like its protagonist.
A crime-thriller with split screens and a self-aware score. A must-see.
Well, it was definitely a lot better than the mess of the Whedonised release. Zack Snyder's JUSTICE LEAGUE needs half-a-working-day to watch, but it's worth it. It's certainly flawed, but what's there is at least consistent and sure of itself. Snyder knows how to frame and a compose a shot, and add surface lustre to the telling of a hero's tale. The trouble is he has a habit of doing it at the expense of nuance and humanity.
Aaron Sorkin's THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 is the third film in fifteen years telling the story of the defendants brought up before the US court following their part in the anti-war protests at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. The trial has become a signpost event, marking a time when the establishment was crumbling and new "liberal" views were taking hold.
I loved I CARE A LOT.
Blend Nicolas Winding Refn’s DRIVE with the Wachowskis’ BOUND and you’ll be approaching the aesthetics and thriller dynamics of CARE. I mean this description to sound like a lot of fun, because that’s what I CARE A LOT is.
I liked GREENLAND, Gerard Butler’s end-of-the-world, extinction-level-threat, asteroid movie, directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
The premise isn’t fresh, but it keeps its feet on the ground and amps up its tension with a fine sense of balance and plausibility as it follows a family of three and their journey amid the chaos to find each other after being separated (no surprises there) and then get to a point where they have a chance of surviving the impact.
Judd Apatow’s THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND tells the semi-autobiographical story of Pete Davidson (provisionally playing himself) as Scott Carlin, who has been traumatised since the age of seven, when his father, a firefighter, died in the conflagration of 9/11.
Sofia Coppola's ON THE ROCKS is a gentle look at a marriage that might be in trouble. It runs a regular 90 minutes (it always feels like a relief when a movie promises a running time of one and a half hours), though in truth its story could have been told in 65.
Good grief. WONDER WOMAN 84 is appalling.
It’s as though DC, Geoff Johns and Patty Jenkins took the Richard Lester antics from SUPERMAN 2 and 3 as their tonal influences and married them to a story inspired by SUPERMAN 4.
Well, this is interesting. WANDAVISION... going all out to try something different... and mostly succeeding.
Netflix's LUPIN is a triumph! Omar Sy is foxy and beguiling as Assane Diop in this contemporary spin on the classic stories of Arsene Lupin.
Some Pixar films have evolved to a point (and have the finance and distribution muscle behind them) where they can just tell interesting stories about people. Stories that have something to say. SOUL is one such film. When Pixar makes movies like this, the studio reminds us that animation is not a genre but simply a form of story-telling, one that can be vital, accessible and profound.
I was wanting a bit more from NOELLE on Disney+, if only because its writer/director, Marc Lawrence, made one of my favourite movies: MISS CONGENIALITY.
He also wrote and directed MUSIC & LYRICS and THE REWRITE, two very good Hugh Grant romantic-comedies. Marc Lawrence makes the kind of films people love. His films belong to a genre that’s difficult to get right, but critics rarely write about them in any meaningful way.
THE RHYTHM SECTION is a more interesting "spy" film from Eon than the two recent James Bond ventures (Spectre and Skyfall.)
Blake Lively pitches herself into the role of a woman whose family has been killed in an airliner crash and who then seeks retribution. First she has to be rescued from her despair by a series of men.
Tom Hanks is excellent as Mr Rogers, a children’s tv presenter (an unknown figure to most British folks), who delivers feel-good bromides via puppets and his on-screen persona. His statements appear simple, but are deceptive. Like his songs, they chime with poetry and have a way of cutting to the heart of a matter.
THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT on Netflix is as good as everyone is saying. Scott Frank’s storytelling is clear and precise. It lands. Awareness of the series has spread mostly through word-of-mouth on social media and through Netflix’s recommendation algorithms. This is the future for movie marketing.